Death of a King_I, Dragon Book 4 Read online

  And then it was over.

  Tanner, Caleb, Sara, and Zeke stepped back.

  Alice’s eyes opened. They closed. They opened again. She opened her mouth and made three weak sounds.

  “Good puppy,” Zeke said.

  “What did she say?” Tanner asked Caleb.

  “She said, ‘thank you’. And she’s hungry.”

  Mother raised her head and flew in circles over the ship. She screeched loudly and blew fire far out over the harbor. The sky filled with dragons—flying and turning and diving and filling the air with their triumphant cries.

  Twenty-Eight

  Captain Raynard approached the door of the council chambers. He stopped and glared at the two guards there.

  “Go away,” he said.

  “But, my lord—”

  The guard’s mouth froze after seeing the hateful look in Raynard’s eyes.

  “Right away, my lord.”

  They hurried away. Sterling stepped into the room. He paced the floor. He did not look at Raynard.

  “Close the door,” Sterling growled.

  “I’m sorry, Sterling,” Raynard said. “I reacted too quickly—”

  “Tell me,” Sterling said. “Explain to me why you saw fit to question my actions—in front of peasants no less?”

  “Those peasants wear the uniform of the King’s Guard, my lord,” Raynard said. “And the man you killed—”

  “Are you speaking of that miserable failure, Captain? The man who ran away from battle to bring me excuses?”

  “That man was our servant, my lord. He swore his loyalty to the kingdom and knew that his life might be required—”

  Sterling waved his hand.

  “This…this soldier you hold so dear—what was his name?”

  “I…I don’t know—”

  “Did he have a wife? Children? Was he a smith? A farmer? What was his usefulness to us?”

  “I don’t know, Lord Sterling. He was on one of the late arrivals, I am almost certain.”

  “Oh, you are almost certain, eh?” Sterling sneered. “I can do better than that. I know for a fact he was a late arrival—because the entire force I deployed was nothing but boys and plow-hands!”

  “You call me your Captain and kept this secret from me?” Raynard fought to keep his shaking hands from becoming fists.

  “This was no battle!” Sterling shouted. “This was a game—a game designed to gauge the enemy and fill them with overconfidence.”

  “And you did not think I should know this?” Raynard said through gritted teeth.

  Sterling took two steps toward Raynard, leaving only inches between them.

  “I have suspected…changes in your attitude, Captain. And your actions have confirmed my suspicions.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?” Raynard asked.

  “You are growing soft, Captain.”

  “Ha! I have killed dozens in the name of the kingdom—at your side and otherwise.”

  “Yes. I am aware of this fact,” Sterling said. He stared into Raynard’s eyes without blinking.

  “I am not talking about our enemies. I am talking about your command.”

  “What about them?” Raynard said. His eyes burned but he was determined to match Sterling’s stare.

  “The men under your charge are not your family, Captain,” Sterling said. “They are not your children.”

  “I am well aware of—”

  “They are animals, Captain!” Sterling’s entire body shook. His bloodshot eyes bore into Raynard’s. “They exist to do your will. My will! If it requires their lives, then so be it. They should prefer to fall to the enemy’s sword rather than face you in defeat!”

  Sterling walked to the table and grabbed a wineskin. He turned it up and drank.

  “You hate me,” Sterling said without turning.

  “No, my—”

  Sterling threw down the wineskin. Wine spilled onto the floor.

  “By the gods, you had better hate me!” Sterling roared. He stomped in front of Raynard and held his dagger to Raynard’s throat.

  “If you allow any man to speak to you as I have and do not hate him you are unfit for command!”

  Raynard breathed heavily.

  “Yes, I hate you. With every fiber of my being.”

  Sterling lowered the dagger. He laughed.

  “Good. Then there is hope for you.”

  “I hate you, but I respect you,” Raynard said. “Ha! No, that is not precisely true. I respect your power. I respect your wealth. I respect the control you have over the people’s minds and will. I believe you will stand over our enemies when this war is over. And I intend to benefit from that victory—hopefully from some distance away.”

  Sterling rolled the dagger over in his hands.

  “Good.” Sterling raised his head. He narrowed his eyes. He shook the dagger.

  “I have often wondered if you think about killing me.”

  Raynard shuffled his feet.

  “Hate. Kill. Are such thoughts not one in the same?”

  “It would profit you nothing to kill me, Captain.”

  “And why not?”

  “Because the spell would be broken,” Sterling said.

  “I don’t know what you mean.”

  Sterling adjusted his bandages. He tapped the tip of the dagger against his temple.

  “The spell I hold over the collective minds of this entire kingdom. We’ve spoken of this before. It is all about fear. Fear that I have instilled every day since…since the day of my brother’s slaughter.”

  Sterling held his hand open. He touched the dagger to it and pulled it across his palm. Blood trickled across his hand and dripped on the floor.

  “If I die, the fear dies with me. The spell over the populace would disappear, Captain. They would realize that it had been a trick. That I was not a god after all!

  “Can you guess who they would come for first? Captain?”

  “I assure you, my lord, I have no desire to see you dead,” Raynard said. “Our arrangement works well enough for me.”

  “Oh, they would not merely…kill you, Captain,” Sterling sneered. “They would make a sport of it. Torture. Dismemberment, perhaps. Perhaps they would remove one finger at a time—”

  “You’ve made your point, Sterling. But you must understand one thing. I attach no value to a soldier. I attach value to the coat he wears—and what it means. An officer under my command must speak my wishes on the battlefield—when I am not present. Yes, they are animals. But the officers are my trusted pets, on whose loyalty I depend. They are the ones who must inspire their men, even in the face of death. You instill them with fear. I must add ability and a sense of duty.”

  Sterling stared at the wall. He chewed on his lip.

  “You have spoken well, Captain. We do make a good team. Send for more wine. We will go over the preparations for the battle to come.”

  “You seem confident, my lord. You did hear the man’s report? Dragons—dozens of them?”

  Sterling loosed a mad laugh.

  “Dragons are fearsome things,” Sterling said. “When they control the air!”

  Twenty-Nine

  Simon and his closest friends walked up the hill toward the village square. The streets filled with people. The stories of the battle with the Varylquin were told and told again as they were passed among the crowds, growing more spectacular with each new telling.

  “Is there news from Morgenwraithe?” Simon asked.

  “Our scouts have returned,” Nicholas Lamont said. “The King’s Road is clear.”

  “What do you propose?” Lucien asked.

  “The dragons have returned,” Lamont said. He sighed. “But only until their bellies are empty again.”

  “You wish to strike quickly,” Simon said.

  “Yes. We’ll have no better opportunity than now. I believe the dragons can destroy Sterling’s cannons faster than his army can fire them.”

  “When?”

  Lord Lamon
t cleared his throat.

  “As soon as Tanner changes you back.”

  “Now?” Simon and Lucien exclaimed together.

  “The Varylquin threat has been neutralized,” Lamont said.

  Simon and Caleb were surrounded by their friends: Magdalena, Captain Finn, Lieutenant Winston, Oliver Vaughn, Sir Gregory Beasley, Sir William Wood, Rolf Roball, Belinda Jacobs, Adam Jacobs, Esmerelda, Robinette Lamont, Sara, Zeke, and Queen Jaclyn. Jaclyn swayed on her feet, comforting her baby who lay against her chest.

  Jaclyn smiled at Simon with a sweetness that made him shiver. The memory of her hand against his human flesh was still fresh in his mind. Her smile shook him as it had the very first time their eyes met. He felt a sweetness on his tongue for the first time in many years—a distant memory, from his days as a child at the King’s table. He recalled the taste of warm bread dripping with fresh honey; a cake or a tart, straight from the ovens of Castle Morgenwraithe. A sweetness—

  “No,” Caleb said. Simon was startled.

  Everyone stared at Caleb.

  “No?” Lord Lamont said.

  “What is your objection, Caleb?” Simon said. “You’re not going into battle. I will not allow it.”

  “That’s what you said about confronting the giants,” Caleb said. “I survived that battle—as did your brother. Thanks to me!”

  “I know that—”

  “And Mother does not care that I exist in this body. Neither did her children.”

  “That is not the issue,” Simon said.

  “Then what is the issue?” Caleb asked.

  “You are still only a child,” Simon said. “And you are my friend. I want to watch you and Sara and Ezekiel grow up. Your abilities may surpass any this kingdom has ever known. I want to see you teach others—for the good of us all.”

  “You are my friend,” Caleb said. “And my king. You will be in the midst of the battle whether you are dragon or man. In this body, you are strong and powerful. In the other—you bleed and die much too easily.”

  “It is my duty, Caleb,” Simon said. “What kind of king sends others to risk their lives while he remains behind?”

  “Are you saying I have no duty?” Caleb asked.

  “I am not saying that at all,” Simon said. “You will play a vital role—here in the village. Lady Jacobs, Adam, Magdalena, and others are prepared to receive our wounded. There may be much that you, Sara, and Zeke might do—things of which no others are capable.”

  “Please, Caleb,” Jaclyn said. “We need you here.”

  Caleb thought for a moment.

  “But the dragons—”

  “The dragons know what to do, Caleb. They know the enemy wears scarlet and gold. And they certainly know about the cannons. They will follow Mother’s lead. I have no doubt about her heart. She saved my life—and her mate saved us all.”

  “That is one reason I want to go,” Caleb said. “To protect her.

  “And you.”

  “I propose we march on Morgenwraithe at the third dawn,” Lamont said. “I know you are both exhausted. Will the clan be able to go without eating for that long?”

  “If they are hungry that may work to our advantage,” Caleb said.

  Lamont glanced at Simon.

  “Oh? Hungry dragons make better warriors?”

  “Well…” Simon said quietly. “Hungry dragons are more likely to see men as…their next meal.”

  Thirty

  Simon woke after several hours of hard sleep. His stomach reminded him of the need to visit the lagoon for a meal of fish. The village was dark and quiet, so he was surprised when he saw three small wagons approach the gates. Each wagon carried a large bundle and two passengers and was lit by torches. Simon could tell that one of the people was Tanner, who was now almost ten feet tall. Simon couldn’t imagine what business Tanner would need to attend to in the wee hours of the morning.

  Simon readied to fly toward the lagoon when a torch lit the face of one of the other passengers.

  It was Jaclyn.

  Simon hurried toward the open gates. He stood in the way of the wagons.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Helping our cause,” Jaclyn said. “And hopefully saving the lives of good people.”

  “What is on these wagons?”

  “Coats,” Noah Lamont said. “Blue and white coats.”

  “Where are you taking them?”

  Jaclyn cut Noah off before he could reply.

  “Some are going to Evenshire.”

  “And the rest?” Simon asked.

  Jaclyn set her jaw and sat up tall in the seat.

  “The woods outside of Morgenwraithe.”

  Simon’s head snapped upward just in time to divert his blast of flame.

  “You’ve been planning this for weeks, haven’t you? And you had every intention of stealing away when no one could stop you. Are you mad?”

  The noise had drawn more of an audience. Lucien, Brendan, Reece, Lord Lamont, Captain Finn, and Caleb approached.

  “I am not stupid, Simon,” Jaclyn said. “We’re going nowhere near the village walls.”

  “You’re right about that,” Simon said. “Because you are not leaving this village!”

  Jaclyn jumped to her feet.

  “There are hundreds of good people in Morgenwraithe who will die only because they fear your demon uncle! They will die because they wear coats of scarlet and gold. And they will die at our hands—in my name! I cannot allow that to happen without giving them a choice.”

  “That’s more than two days’ travel,” Simon said. “You’ll never get back in time.”

  “That’s where I come in, Simon,” Tanner said.

  “I don’t understand,” Simon said.

  “Tanner will carry the bundles between Evenshire and the forest outside of Morgenwraithe.”

  “How will anyone find the coats in the forest?” Simon asked.

  Noah patted his chest.

  “I have a note from Sheriff Jacobs, addressed to his uncle. He will ride to Morgenwraithe and pass the information to a trusted friend. The word will spread quickly from there.”

  “Unless it is spread to one wrong person!” Simon snapped.

  Simon addressed Captain Finn.

  “What say you, Captain? Are you in favor of this mad quest?”

  Finn shuffled his feet.

  “Uh…I…I was not consulted.”

  “Very good answer,” Magdalena said.

  “We can take them, Simon.”

  Simon turned around.

  “What?”

  “We can take them,” Caleb said. “You and me.”

  Simon closed his eyes.

  “Not you, too, Caleb!”

  “It is the right thing to do,” Caleb said.

  “No, it is not!” Simon said. “Hard choices must be made in time of war.”

  He glared at Jaclyn.

  “I learned this from your father.”

  “Lucien has denounced his throne,” Jaclyn said. “I have not. I am currently the only legitimate voice of royalty—”

  Simon shook his head.

  “I must disagree—”

  “Not in that body, you don’t!” Jaclyn snapped.

  Boone coughed to cover his laugh.

  “I’ll go with you,” he said.

  “No,” Simon said. “There is no reason—”

  “No reason?” Boone said. “What if you actually need me? I remember when you needed me a great deal. Would you like to discuss—”

  “Why would I need you?”

  “Well, to begin with, I have fingers!”

  Simon sighed.

  “Quickly,” he said. “Tie the bundles to our legs—twice as many to mine.”

  “Twice as many?” Caleb said.

  “You’re ten years old!” Simon said. “And your load will be delivered to Evenshire—where you will wait for me.”

  Caleb turned away.

  “I only heard part of that.”

  “I’m
going as well,” Lucien said.

  “No, you are not,” Simon said.

  “I can carry him,” Caleb said.

  “How would you know what you can do?” Simon said.

  “You said it yourself,” Caleb said. “I’m only going to Evenshire.”

  “There is no guarantee you won’t encounter soldiers,” Lucien said. “Or worse. If that happens, those loads could get you killed.”

  “So, we will cut them loose,” Simon said.

  Lucien twirled his dagger in front of his eyes.

  “Pray tell…how will you do that?”

  “No,” Simon said. “And that is final. You have a wife and child to care for.”

  “And I intend to do that very thing,” Lucien said. “After we kill Sterling.”

  “I said, no,” Simon said. “You are no longer king. You will do as I say.”

  “I spoke in a moment of passion and madness,” Lucien said. “I revoke my renouncement!”

  “You can’t do that!” Simon snapped.

  “Certainly, I can,” Lucien said. “I just did.”

  Simon looked at Lord Lamont.

  “He can’t do that…can he?”

  Lamont rubbed his chin.

  “I…I don’t know.”

  Lucien pulled his damaged crown from inside his coat. He grimaced as he pulled on it, wrestling it back into a semblance of roundness. He placed the crown crookedly upon his head.

  “Who else has one of these?” Lucien asked.

  Simon turned his head and snorted fire and smoke.

  “This is the most ridiculous rebellion in the history of man.”

  Caleb lowered himself to the ground. Lucien tucked away his crown, straightened his quiver, put his bow over his shoulder, and climbed on.

  Thirty-One

  Simon struggled under the load until he reached soaring height. He kept a wary eye on Caleb, who was also struggling. But Caleb wore a look of stubborn tenacity. Simon waited for Caleb to reach altitude and they flew side by side toward the southwest. Dawn came after an hour. Two hours into the day, and the farms around Evenshire came into view.